Dean Alfange papers

Description data TOP

unitid

{"value"=>"MssCol 46", "type"=>"local_call"}

{"value"=>"46", "type"=>"local_mss"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"1927-1988", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1927/1988"}

date_inclusive_start

1927

date_inclusive_end

1988

keydate

1927

unittitle

{"value"=>"Dean Alfange papers"}

physdesc

{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"4.8 linear ft. (8 boxes;"}

repository

{"value"=>"The <span class=\"corpname\">New York Public Library.Manuscripts and Archives Division</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">5th Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, New York 10018-2788</span></div>"}

abstract

{"value"=>"Dean Alfange (1897-1989) was a lawyer, politician and political advisor to U.S. presidents and New York governors. He was instrumental in the formation of the Liberal Party, active in the Greek-American communtiy, and involved in human rights issues. The papers consist of correspondence, speeches, newsclippings, and other materials documenting his career."}

prefercite

{"value"=>"<p>Dean Alfange Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.</p>"}

origination

{"value"=>"Alfange, Dean, 1897-1989", "type"=>"persname"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>Dean Alfange was born in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) of Greek parents, December 2, 1897. His family migrated to the United States and settled in Utica, New York, when he was very young. He attended Hamilton College where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1922. Later he attended Columbia University Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1925.</p> <p>Alfange's interests led him to pursue a career in politics as well as law. He was also deeply involved with the Order of Ahepa, a Greek-American cultural organization, and was its national president from 1927-1929. He ran for New York State Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1942 against Thomas E. Dewey and was a strong advocate of the New Deal and a great admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt.</p> <p>During World War II he was the Vice-Chairman of the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe. He made speeches for aid to the Jews against the Nazis, and at a hearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives submitted a plan to save the Jews in Europe. After World War II he became chairman of the Committee to Arm the Jewish State, a group aimed at lifting the arms embargo on Palestine.</p> <p>He was instrumental in the formation of the Liberal Party in 1944 when the American Labor Party split between pro-communist and anti-communist factions. However, crossing party lines Alfange held nominations or appointments from Democrats and Republicans as well as the Liberal and American Labor Party. As early as 1954 he expressed opposition to the American policy of military aid to the French government in Indo-China, his position being one based on anti-colonialism. This position continued throughout America's involvement in the Viet Nam Conflict.</p> <p>Other positions held by Alfange were: Deputy Attorney General of New York State, Trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York State Quarter-Horse Racing Commissioner. Among his awards are the Freedom Foundation Award (1952) for his composition \"My Creed\" (included in Ephemera Series) and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Award for his book <span class=\"title\">The Supreme Court and the National Will</span> (1937).</p> <p>He died in New York City on October 24, 1989 at age 91.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p>The papers (1927-1988), though sketchy, reflect aspects of Alfange's career as a lawyer and political activist. The bulk of the collection is correspondence, speeches, articles by Alfange and newsclippings dealing with his political activities and with the Greek American community from 1934-1975.</p> <p>The collection reveals Alfange's involvement and influence in the American Labor Party, the Order of Ahepa and aspects of his work in the political arena between 1940-1980. Presidential correspondence from Hoover and Truman includes letters requesting Alfange's insight into the problems of the immigrant communities, which is also reflected in Alfange's notes dealing with presidential meetings. There is a quantity of information which reveals Alfange's involvement in election campaigning both on a state and nationwide level. There is nothing in the papers which deals with Alfange's private life. The collection gives insight into the political scene in New York during the 1940's, notably the 1942 New York State gubernatorial election and Alfange's efforts in the formation of the Liberal Party. Of special note is Alfange's interest in human rights revealed in his involvement as Vice Chairman of the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe during World War II and his chairmanship of the Committee to Arm the Jewish State.</p> <p>There is a subgroup of letters in the collection from Alfange's friend (who was sometimes referred to as \"Uncle\"), Augustus L. Richards. Richards, a retired lawyer and Harvard graduate, reveals in his letters a satiric wit and strong liberal leanings. It is obvious through much of this correspondence that Alfange respected his opinion and political insight.</p>"}

{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Dean Alfange papers are arranged in six series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720658'>Series I. Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1929 - 1988</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Included are personal letters from notables such as Presidents Gerald R. Ford, Herbert Hoover and Harry Truman. Also included are letters from J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Rockefeller and Henry Cabot Lodge. Of particular note are Alfange's personal comments and observances from private meetings with Truman.</p> <p>NOTE: The Articles and Speeches series contains a letter by Harlan Fiske Stone which accompanied an edited article by Alfange.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>arranged alphabetically</p></div></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720680'>Series II. Articles and Speeches</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Articles contain assorted writings of Dean Alfange. Included are: \"A Liberal Looks At the Jewish State,\" \"The Effect of Prior Imperfect Obligation on the Matter of Preference in Bankruptcy\" (includes letter by Harlan Fiske Stone), excerpts from <span class=\"title\">The Supreme Court and the National Will</span> (included are excerpts of reviews of this work), \"The Supreme Court Battle in Retrospect,\" \"Toward a New Foreign Policy,\" \"Tribute to the Late President Roosevelt,\" \"The Truman Doctrine in a Coma\" and an annotated copy of his court case -- Spyridon Catapodis against Aristotle Socrates Onassis.</p> <p>Alfange's speeches include addresses he made at various functions throughout his career. Some of note are: \"American Aid to Greece, Is Security Compatible With Liberty\" and a radio address delivered June 15, 1941 entitled \"A Program For Action\". Wartime speeches given by Alfange include many for aid to save the Jewish people of Europe. Included is his speech in 1944 concerning the newly formed Liberal Party. This series also includes articles written by Augustus Richards and one entitled \"On Freedom of the Press\" which is of unknown authorship.</p> <p>Also included are 10 glass phonograph recordings of Alfange delivering some of his more notable speeches. Some included are the speech given to the Emergency Committee to Save the Jews of Europe and a speech given to the Legion for American Unity.</p> <p>NOTE: One of Alfange speeches is included in the Ahepa file.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>articles arranged alphabetically; speeches arranged chronologically.</p></div></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720692'>Series III. Organizations</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1927 - 1970</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> Included in this series are papers from various organizations with which Alfange was affliated. These include Ahepa, A.L.P. (American Labor Party), Commission of Critical Choices for Americans, Committee to Arm the Jewish State, Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe and the New York State Quarter Horse Commission. Alfange played a prominent role in each of these organizations and the papers contain correspondence, speeches and programs. Of special note are the files from Ahepa, A.L.P. and the Committee to Arm the Jewish State. The Order of Ahepa is an American fraternal organization for those of Greek ancestry, and dedicated to inculcating American values and reverence for the history, culture and traditions of Greece. The file contains issues of the publication <span class=\"title\">Ahepa Bulletin</span> from 1927 - 1929. Also included are programs from the Order of Ahepa convention and works by Dean Alfange at Ahepa functions in his position as Supreme President of Ahepa and later as guest speaker. The A.L.P. files contain press releases and copies of speeches by Dean Alfange as the American Labor Party candidate for Governor. Alfange campaigned as \"the only New Deal candidate running for governor.\" The Committee to Arm the Jewish State was formed after World War II. \"Its purpose was not to solicit funds for arms. It created public opinions in support of arming the Jewish people of Palestine and to induce the U. S. government to lift the arms embargo and lend-lease military equipment to the new Jewish state.\"(Box 3, File #5 : Pamphlet containing statement of goals and purpose). The files contain correspondence, financial information and general information of the organization.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>arranged alphabetically</p></div></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720708'>Series IV. Election Campaigns</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1952 - 1974</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Contains correspondence, speeches and subject files for both presidential and gubernatorial campaigns from 1952-1976. Of special note is the 1952 Presidential radio address and correspondence from Nelson Rockefeller's Governor's Club.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>arranged chronologically</p></div></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720720'>Series V. Memorabilia</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1928 - 1957</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Contains photographs, newsclippings and ephemera dealing with Alfange's career. Photographs include 33 photos of Dean Alfange during various moments of his career. Photos deal with mainly 2 topics: the Ahepa trip to Greece during the late 1920's while he was Supreme President of Ahepa and his public career. Newsclippings include articles about Alfange's public life, mainly his involvement in politics and with his affiliation with the Greek community in the United States. Included in the ephemera are political leaflets for his campaign for congress and the gubernatorial election in New York State, as well as other items of memorabilia.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>arranged by form</p></div></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/46#c720724'>Series VI. Augustus L. Richards Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1943 - 1951</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> Contains letters written by Augustus L. Richards to Dean Alfange concerning matters of political importance. Also included are copies of letters Richards wrote to prominent people in politics and government voicing his opinions on U.S. policy and the international scene. These letters a often in a sarcastic and/or satiric vein and many are extremely humorous.</p> <div class=\"arrangement\"> <p>arranged chronologically.</p></div></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}

arrangement

{"value"=>"<p>The papers are divided into six series. These are: I. Correspondence; II. Articles and Speeches; III. Organizations; IV. Election Campaigns; V. Memorabilia; VI. Augustus L. Richards Correspondence.</p>", "supress_display"=>true}

acqinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Dean Alfange, Jr., 1990.</p>"}

processinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan; machine-readable finding aid created by Melanie A. Yolles.</p>"}

date_start

1927

date_end

1988

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Child components TOP

1. Series I. Correspondence [21/1]
2. Series II. Articles and Speeches [11/1]
3. Series III. Organizations [6/1]
4. Series IV. Election Campaigns [7/1]
5. Series V. Memorabilia [3/1]
6. Series VI. Augustus L. Richards Correspondence [11/1]